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Wednesday, June 13, 2018

The temps have been hitting the 90's lately - and it's no surprise that while you enjoy hiding from the heat, your plants wish they could too. While all plants need sun, and many are quite hardy and can handle the high temps, there are a few things you can do to help your Lake of the Ozarks garden thrive even through the quickly rising temps. At Camdenton Farm and Garden, we help with all things farming and gardening, so we have a few tips to help your plants, wild birds, and landscaping survive the heat wave and thrive into fall.

Caring For Your Lawn

It can be challenging to care for your landscaping during high temps, especially if your city puts restrictions on your water usage. All the same, there are a few things you can do to help your landscape survive the hot temps and come out greener on the other side.

Set Your Mower Higher
The goal is to not cut your grass as short as you usually would. Extra height can keep your soil from drying out and keep your lawn greener longer.

Cut Regularly
While you want to keep the lawn cutter set higher, you still want to cut regularly. At least every couple of weeks to help prevent the grass from running to seed and to keep weeds from taking hold.

Don't Worry
While dry spells may keep your landscape looking dull, don't worry. As soon as rainfall returns it will green up again. There's no need to sow additional grass seed or water it daily. If you are truly worried about it, come in and talk with us. We may be able to prescribe a fertilizer to keep it going for longer.

Caring for Plants

This covers all things growing. from your vegetable garden, your border flowers, and even your container plants. All things green and growing need to be cared for properly in order to give them the best possible chance. It's important to ensure that the plants have enough access to water when the weather is dry as they can become weak and more at risk of pests and disease damaging them.

Water at the Right Time
It's important to not water during the hottest part of the day. This can use the most water because more evaporation can occur. It can also cause heat spots from the sun reflecting on the droplets on the plant's leaves. You can use several different types of watering, from irrigation to doing it by hand. No matter what you choose, just make sure the water is getting to the roots and not just being wasted on the leaves.

Your Container Garden
Be sure to water your potted plants thoroughly and regularly. You can also place them in a tray or sauce. When the water drains through it will collect at the bottom and can then be reabsorbed by the plant. You don't want to leave containers in saucers during the wet spells though. Don't forget to put your plants in a nice shady spot as well so they won't get scorched!

Pick Produce Regularly
Ripe produce consumes a lot of water. Keep picking through the summer months to help keep from putting such a strain on the plant. Of course, root crops are a little different, and they can stay in the ground until you're ready to use them. But for the others, you'll want to farm them as quickly as possible.

Caring for Wildlife

Do you have any wildlife in your yard? Perhaps water gardens or wild birds that use the bird bath? You'll want to think about them during these hot summer months!

Check the Pond
Make sure that the water level is topped off where necessary to help pond life and reduce the likelihood of small animals falling in while getting a drink. You can also put a branch or plank in to help any small animals that find themselves unexpectedly swimming.

Keep an Eye on the Birds
If you have a birdbath, you'll want to make sure and keep fresh water in it. It can be challenging for birds to find fresh water during dry spells, so a bird bath is a wonderful way to help. Also, if you still have your hummingbird feeders out, it's important to make sure that the nectar is changed regularly. The sugar in their food can go bad quickly when the temps are as warm as they are.

For all things green and growing, we hope that you can rely on your local farm and garden store at the Lake of the Ozarks for all of the help you need. We have supplies, tools, plants, and a great knowledge base for when you have questions. Give us a call to see if we have what you're looking for, or stop by!